Ghosts of the Past
by xIMrGibbsIx
Summary: Twenty-eight years after the reaper conflict, Liara has made the most important archeological discovery since the first prothean ruins, but after revealing the new exhibit. Something goes horribly wrong.


Stardate 2214CE

28 years after Reaper conflict.

Shepard walked through the crowd of asari blue with ease. There was a buzz in the air. She seemed to be the only person who wasn't standing still. Everyone around her was waiting with a palpable excitement. Some were nervous. Others ecstatic.

Hundreds were gathered in an auditorium in the T'Soni Archaeological Foundation on Thessia for a major announcement. One that was being delivered by the revered Liara T'Soni herself. So there were high expectations. Liara's name had become legendary among the asari after the reaper conflict had ended.

Similar things had happened to every member of Shepard's squad, each becoming an avatar for their race. Liara had put that status to use by using the influence to further her original purpose. Uncovering history and learning from it. It was well known what her area of expertise was: dead races. Such as the protheans.

That's why everyone was waiting with rapt attention. Shepard finally reached the stage and walked up the stairs on the right side to head behind the curtain where Liara was waiting. Passing by she patted Feron's shoulder and smiled.

"It's good to see you. How is she?" Shepard asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.

"Nervous. You'd think that after all this time speaking to crowds wouldn't rattle her." His two tone voice vibrated into in Jane's ears pleasantly. It had always been a guilty pleasure to listen to constantly. It helped that he was one of Liara's best friends.

_That drell could put me to sleep with his voice. Dear god._

"Well at least among humans, public speaking has been almost a top ten fear for hundreds of years. So maybe it's a universal concept." Feron stared blankly.

"You've both stared down a genocidal machine the size of a skyscraper..."

_This is true..._

"I never said it was a _rational _fear." They shared a chuckle and Shepard moved on. Behind the curtain were sound techs and lighting crews running around in frantic circles, all making their last second checks or trying to make sure different equipment were leveled right. Through the bustle were nearly a dozen different stands that held objects encased in climate controlled glass displays.

Part of an expedition that had been ongoing for nearly eleven years. According to Liara it would be the biggest archaeological discovery since the unearthing of prothean technology. A cultural marvel that could help teach unparalleled lessons to every species willing to learn from it.

_Lets hope we learn from this better than we learned from the protheans._

Past the displays stood the beauty that always struck Shepard like lightning. Skin like a sky before it storms. Ocean eyes. Piercing and honest.

"Liara!" Shepard called through all of the commotion. When her lover finally turned, a mesmerizing smile greeted back. It flooded memories of that first smile that had been flashed Jane's way back on the Normandy so long ago. Asari longevity left Liara looking exactly the same. An uncanny stillness of age Shepard could hardly hold a candle to.

"Shepard. Thank the goddess. I couldn't do this without you here." Liara leaned in for a kiss that was heavy and urgent. Stress was just rolling off of her. You could almost feel it.

_Hell. If we bonded right now I bet my hair would fall out._

"I'm sure you could. You just don't want to." A loving gaze met her comment, tugging a smirk across those dark lips.

_Oh. That smile. Fun times later._

Liara leaned in close to Shepard's ear and pulled their bodies together.

"My bed has been empty for two weeks. I've missed you."

_Definitely fun times later…_

"I know. Luckily the Council isn't going to need me for a few weeks. As per me." Shepard held her lover close and couldn't contain the sigh of content rushing out. Any moment where they could embrace each other was one to cherish.

_Running the Spectres has its perks._

"I'm so happy you could be here love. This find is so important. There's so much potential here." Liara pulled away, their hands held together. Before there was any time to continue their reunion, Feron spoke from right of stage.

"Liara, you've got two minutes. Get ready."

"Alright babe. You've got this. I'm right in the front row. We all are. If you get nervous, just focus on us. Good luck. I love you." Shepard planted one last kiss on her lover's lips and gave a warm smile before leaving her to rehearse an opening statement.

Sometimes normal movement felt awkward to the N7 elite. Always lightly fumbling though mundane steps of normal life. Which usually lead to why Shepard treated every environment like a battlefield. Made it easier.

_Doesn't help the twitchy nerves though._

Luckily, there wasn't any strange faces sitting up front. They were all familiar. Every squad-mate that had served with Shepard and Liara were present. They'd been supporting Liara's endeavor with this find for a decade. Each of them eager to see a payoff that she'd never stopped talking about.

_This dig is all I've heard about for years. Maybe now she'll shut up about it._

Right next to Shepard's seat at center, was a turian. Still sporting a set scars across his right mandible, stretching down below his jaw.

"Shepard! About time you got to your seat. I've been sitting here for an hour. Kinda unfair that you get to flirt while I sit here with the gang. Don't get me wrong, it's nice catching up, but still."Garrus stood to take his best friend's hand.

"Shut up ugly. You see enough of me at work, figured you needed a break." His mandibles flared as a chuckle hit.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Theater lights started to dim as they took their seats. A simulated voice that Shepard instantly recognized as Glyph started to quiet people and announce Liara's presence.

"To reveal her latest discovery, we'd like for everyone to take your seats and welcome, Dr. Liara T'Soni." Less than a second passed before a thunderous round of applause erupted from the crowd as Liara was revealed from behind the lifting curtains. There were whistles and catcalls, mostly from everyone sitting up front.

_I wonder if she gets tired of us acting a fool in public like this. _Fun fact. She never would. Much to Shepard's surprise.

When Liara stepped out, she had thought nerves would make this difficult, but taking in that applause, seeing her friends right there, hearing a roaring enthusiasm only a crowd could muster, everything melted away and an infectious smile took over.

"Thank you! Everyone. Thank you. Quiet down. I've got to a lot to tell you." It took about a minute, but eventually a silence spread throughout each voice.

"Eleven years ago, a rumor was passed on to me through a friend in the Terminus. This rumor told a story of a planet nearly cracked in two and drifting slowly but surely out the orbit of its sun. A story of a salarian man who'd been run aground on the surface of this planet by a band of pirates." Shepard had heard this story so many times yet it still managed to capture her attention.

"Being a crashed ship on a desolate rock next to a colossal rift on its surface, he assumed that he would be easy pickings, but for whatever reason, they disengaged. They left him and his ship without a passing glance like it was a lost cause. As he ventured out to the surface, he noticed something strange. Littered across the expanse of dirt and smooth rock were countless ships that had likely been unlucky enough meet the same fate."

"Knowing full well the risk that the Terminus posed, he was prepared. A genius in his own right, he started to repair his ship, or least he would have, had all of the energy from that ship not been immediately sapped from its drive core."

Liara came to a pause, letting the intrigue set in. Tension wound tight within her audience.

"Details start to get fuzzy here. Knowing how rumors work its likely been warped from the original with each telling before it ever reached my ears. All I can tell you is the most consistent version of this story." All eyes were locked on her. All ears open and devouring every word.

"The story goes that he watched as that planet _devoured _all energy from his drive core. He watched as it snaked across the surface and seeped down below. Then nothing. As he tried raising communications with his security ship, a surge ripped from the chasm spanning the entire planet, pale yellow light oozing from an abyss. Luckily enough for him, his own security detail was able to retrieve him. As they were leaving, his ship fell into that abyss."

Liara paced on stage, an adept storyteller. Emphasizing and bringing a crescendo to each sentence.

"Suffice to say, my interest was piqued." She smiled and let a chuckle ripple across those listening before continuing.

"Turns out, this mythical man was very real. And alive. I tracked him down. It took months, but I found him. This salarian is a lead scout for a survey company. It's his job to scour remote systems and clusters for resources or valuables. Anything from mineral goods or salvage. His ship was mounted with survey cameras. What I'm about to show you is black box footage from his ship as it fell. It cost me a fortune, but his company was happy to part with it. After watching the footage myself, I would have paid that price a hundred times over."

Behind her, a screen came to life. No time was wasted. In each corner was data or various readouts of status reports, but no one was paying attention to it. It was just after that salarian had been recovered where the footage started. Everyone watched it teeter back and forth momentarily before dropping down into the abyss, but as it fell, an astonishing sight came into view. It was only a few seconds. A fleeting glimpse of what looked like ruins. Clear as day. Intelligent design. A unanimous gasp echoed out. Hushed whispers. Liara spoke what they were all thinking.

"Those are what you think they are. Ancient ruins. Proof positive of civilization. I immediately funded an expedition. Ladies and gentleman, this discovery is the soul reason I created this foundation, this institution of higher learning." Behind her, fading into view over the footage were countless images of what has just been shown.

"These are images taken over a decade of research. A decade of digging, cataloging, translating and learning. What we once thought to be a dead rock cracked in half through catastrophic astrological tragedy, turned out to be a planet encased in a type geological superstructure. This planet, once written off as dead rock left to float into the void once housed life. Intelligent beings. A planet that was home to no less than four native intelligent species that lived among another. My foundation has been exploring underneath that shell for ten years."

There wasn't a soul who wasn't mesmerized by what there were seeing. Even Liara was exhilarated and nearly breathless recounting her fantastic tale.

Cameras mounted at every angle were broadcasting every word she spoke to millions of people across the galaxy. An entire scientific community was being shook to its core.

"This planet used to have a name consisting of a few numbers. To my friends, colleagues, and everyone watching, I am proud to tell you that through the efforts of nearly a thousand brilliant minds, we've discovered a name. With that name, we are proud to announce an exhibit dedicated to this lost world. This phantom lost to time. I present to you..."

Behind Liara, three words were boldly accented over a picture of what she'd discovered.

"Ghosts of Thedas!"


End file.
